The Red Sox made three roster moves on Wednesday afternoon, hoping the added presence on the bench can give the team a must-needed boost heading down the stretch.

Boston activated outfielder Eric Patterson and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia off the DL, and both players are key reserves for the Red Sox during this crucial time in the schedule. The Sox also called up reliever Dustin Richardson for bullpen help.

NESN's Heidi Watney caught up with manager Terry Francona to hear his take on their return.

"With Patterson, it's versatility and speed," Francona said. "Salty is our switch-hitting catcher, potentially first base but mostly catching. And with Dustin it's his left hand pitching that always helps."

For all three players, this is not their first time visiting the Red Sox clubhouse, which is somewhat unusual for September call ups. Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley recalled teams bringing up multiple lefties to face him when he was pitching for the Red Sox during a pennant race.

"I remember when I was a closer, they'd have five left-handers in September waiting to face me," Eck said during Red Sox Gameday Live. "I never faced right-handed hitters, they were all left-handers waiting to face me."